The Real Truth About Overnight Success (It’s Possible, but Only if You Do This…)
by James Clear
OK, so you want to be successful. That’s good.
And you’d like to be successful as soon as possible. Nothing wrong with that.
Here’s the problem: It’s hard to be successful when there are good people and bad people lying to you at the same time. And that’s happening to you right now.
Let me explain…
Overnight Success
The idea of “overnight success” is everywhere.
It doesn’t matter where you look — fitness, finance, romance, etc. — you will find products, services, and people claiming that you can get what you want faster, cheaper, and easier than ever before.
Deep down, most of us know that these are just advertising messages meant to hit our hot buttons … but we really do want to lose 10 pounds or make a million dollars or find the love of our life, and so we buy into the empty promises, marketing, and hype.
Here’s the truth…
Rapid success is possible, but it has nothing to do with the newest step–by–step system or secret strategy.
But here’s the really surprising part. Many experts will tell you that overnight success is all about how hard you work and how passionate you are about what you do. The basic theme is that if you care enough and work hard enough, then success will come your way.
And while it is true that smarts and effort will help you, finding rapid success comes down to one thing:
Connecting with influencers in your industry.
In other words, make friends. That’s it.
Here’s why it works
Connecting with influencers in your industry is so much easier thanbecoming an influencer in your industry.
It takes a long time and a lot of work to build up authority and trust.
And yet, when you do connect with influencers in your industry, you automatically become a part of that inner circle and thus you are now an authority figure as well.
Not to mention that people who have already been successful in your industry are the perfect people to show you how to mimic their success. They can tell you what steps to take and in what order. They can tell you how to get started and who to contact. And perhaps most importantly, they can keep you consistent and help you overcome the barriers that inevitably arise.
People who have walked through the fire can help you do the same.
This principle works so well, that you can actually build an entire business on it. In fact, that’s why I created The Remora Method. Forming mutually beneficial relationships with influencers is the core principle that The Remora Method is based upon and you can use that basic idea to boost your income very quickly.
Be bold
At this point, you might be saying, “That’s great, but how am I going to reach out to these A–listers? They won’t even return my emails.”
If you want to keep it really simple, then it all comes down to this: just ask.
Be bold. If you never ask for what you want, the answer is always no.
On a related note: do not confuse asking with demanding.
Make sure you respect the time and effort that other influencers have put in to get where they are. You’re not looking to take advantage of them, you’re looking to help them and connect with them.
Here’s how to do it
The best way to connect with interesting people is in person. Lunch dates and coffee meetings work fine, but I have found better success by meeting up at an event.
For example, go to a book signing for a popular author in your industry. Talk to the other great people that are there. I did this recently and I met 4 new people who are all key influencers in my industry.
Conferences are another excellent option for meeting people who can help you. Bonus: conferences are also a great way to travel for free.
Use this email script
Many times, meeting someone new in person isn’t an option. This is when connecting via email is a good bet.
My typical approach is to set up a Skype or phone conversation with someone new. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.
Here’s an example of a typical email template that I use to set up a Skype chat with someone new. I have used this exact email successfully dozens of times. Feel free to use this template for yourself.
Hi [name],
I came across your work on [wherever you found them] and I thought it would be nice to drop you a line.
I really like [something they have done] and [how it matches up with you and your goals].
I [explain what you do] and I’m taking some time to get to know everyone in our industry.
If you’re up for it, I’d love to chat more sometime.
Thanks,
James
Here is a real email that I sent out, just so you can see what it looks like when you put it all together…
Hey Dan,
I came across your work on Twitter (we run in the same circles) and I thought it would be nice to drop you a line.
I really like the writing you have done on breaking through barriers and your thoughts align well with my goal of teaching people to build successful businesses and earn more money.
I write over on PassivePanda.com and I’m taking some time to get to know everyone in our industry.
If you’re up for it, I’d love to chat more sometime.
Thanks,
James
If they respond, then you have the green light to ask them to set up a Skype chat or phone call to talk more.
Here’s an example of what I would say in a follow up email…
Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply, Dan.
I’m free to chat on Skype or by phone — whatever works best for you.
What’s your schedule look like for next week? Anytime on Monday, 5/23 or Tuesday 5/24 look good for me. I’m on EST.
When it comes time to talk to them, simply do the following…
- Always ask about them first. Ask what they are up to, how they became successful, and what their story is. Let them do most of the talking.
- If you can help them in any way, do so. At the end of each call, I tell them, “Hey, if there is every any way I can help you out, just let me know.”
- Don’t ask for anything on the first call. Just get to know them.
That’s it! You now have a new contact that you can reach out to when needed. Repeat as desired.
Advanced Techniques
I try to do this once per week. If at any point during this article you thought, “I don’t have a strong network” … then just follow this strategy and you’ll know 50+ people by the end of the year.
No excuses. Just do it and you’ll have a strong network soon.
If you have some questions visit page www.passivepanda.com
Original article: https://passivepanda.com/overnight-success